Taiwan's Penghu garrison drills for a Chinese first strike

In the pre-dawn gloom on a Taiwan Strait island, soldiers recently unloaded 105mm shells from canisters and loaded them into tanks, waiting for the order to fire. The scene was part of a live-fire exercise on the Penghu Islands, a 90-island archipelago roughly 50 kilometers off Taiwan's southwest coast, where thousands of troops are training for a potential conflict with China.

Senior Taiwanese security officials and military experts say Penghu would be in the first wave of any attempted Chinese invasion. The islands' location makes them a crucial defensive asset: holding them allows Taiwan's forces to strike at a Chinese invasion fleet heading for the main island. Missiles based on Penghu could target People's Liberation Army (PLA) ships attempting to bypass the islands, forcing Beijing to neutralize the garrison before proceeding.

Taipei has been reinforcing the islands' defenses. During the annual Han Kuang exercises in August, the Navy's Coastal Operations Command deployed Hsiung Feng missile launch vehicles to beachfront positions for the first time. The military also established its first drone unit on Penghu in July, with unmanned aerial vehicles participating in the drills.

Analysts note that Penghu's location allows Taiwanese forces to potentially catch invading ships in a crossfire between the islands and the main island of Taiwan. Missiles on Penghu could also launch counterstrikes deeper into Chinese territory. Taiwan's other offshore islands, Kinmen and Matsu, are considered too close to China to serve a similar defensive role.

Beijing has dismissed Taiwan's fortification efforts. A Chinese defense ministry spokesperson called the plans "increasingly absurd and delusional" and warned Taipei would face "total destruction" if it provoked war. Chinese strategists have previously identified Penghu's importance, with one retired general suggesting in 2019 that the PLA could "strategically suppress" Taiwan by occupying the islands.

A war game held last year with retired U.S., Taiwanese, and Japanese military officials saw Penghu fall just a day after China launched surprise long-range attacks on Taiwan. The quick capitulation startled Taiwanese participants, according to a summary report. Taiwan's defense ministry said it takes such exercises into account when adjusting defensive plans.

Beyond the military, local communities are preparing for potential conflict. Roughly 1,200 Penghu residents have completed Taiwan's "whole-of-society defense resilience" training, which covers first aid and emergency support. Volunteers like Yen Min-ching, a retired police officer and neighborhood chief, have encouraged residents to sign up. By year's end, about 200,000 people across Taiwan will have completed the program.

Local officials acknowledge the islands' exposed position. Huxi township chief Chen Chen-chung, whose district hosts key infrastructure including cargo docks, an airport, and the main power plant, said Penghu "would definitely be one of the first places attacked." His civil defense group of about 100 people is tasked with wartime support missions, from distributing rations to countering enemy propaganda. Local businesses have also signed agreements to cooperate with authorities in an emergency.